Whether you celebrate Christmas, as I do, another holiday, or your tradition is to ignore the entire season – extra eating often enters our lives during this time of the year. Celebrating holidays and events is not just American – it’s part of human culture. We can look back into scriptures and know that long […]

According to a Wells Fargo analysis published in October 2013, sales of regular sugar-sweetened soda dropped another 1.7% during the month of September. It seems that sluggish sales of sweetened soda have been reported quarter after quarter for Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper for quite a few years now. I’m trying to be compassionate for […]

An October 15, 2013 report in Connecticut College News is causing a big stir in the food industry. Certainly a headline suggesting that Oreos are just as addictive as drugs (cocaine or morphine) is fodder for media and argument. Of course this is not the first time researchers have explored the issue of the possibility […]

I like the term junk food; it’s so helpful. It gets right to the identification of the item as something that you’re not counting on to nourish yourself or your family. It says, “This is just a treat;” and “Too much of this stuff is not great for my health.” I belong to the Academy […]

I admit it; I’m a success story junkie.  I love reading stories about those who set a goal and get it done. This particular story got my attention because the man that lost 245 pounds said he did it using three P’s.  I wanted to know about his three P’s. So I was in.  What […]

Remember when the Freshman 15 was the Freshman 10? As history goes on things just have gotten bigger and bigger in many ways. Although Wikipedia says that the Freshman 15 is really not a gain of a full fifteen pounds on average, of course, some students do gain weight. The Wikipedia article is really quite […]

The 2013 F as in Fat Report from the Trust for Americas Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows U.S. obesity leveling off. Before we get too excited and head for the ice cream parlor in celebration, we should note that extreme obesity has grown and the obesity leveling off is at the rate […]

Last week I read a story about a fruit breeder in Kern County – a rural part of California where I enjoyed shooting the rapids, floating down the Kern River and exploring the mountains during my preteen and teenage years. One on my numerous childhood memories of the ‘50s and ‘60s was the drive to […]

Have you seen the story about New York City medical doctors writing prescriptions for fruits and vegetables? Patients receive a $2 voucher for each member of their family, to use on fruits and vegetables. One 11-year old boy, Ty-J Futch lost 40 pounds since he started the program last year. Indeed, the family of five […]

I know that case studies are not powerful; statistically speaking that is. But I must confess that I really enjoy reading case studies of those who have lost weight – made lasting change to their eating style. Besides the joy of reading about someone’s success, what cases do offer are ideas about what might work […]